A Few Hours Past the Middle of the Night
by the punchline
Summary: So what if it was a few hours past the middle of the night? Seeley Booth wanted a shower.
1. Chapter 1

"Bones."

"Booth," she murmured, tilting her head to allow him easier access as he placed wet kisses down her throat.

"Bones."

"Boooth..."

"_Bones._"

"Mmm, Seeley…"

"_Seeley?_ Christ Bones – wake up!"

Her eyes snapped open and Temperance Brennan shrieked at the dark outline of her partner, Special Agent Seeley Booth looming over her bed.

"Wh – _ouch_, Bones! It's me!" He cried, slapping one hand over her mouth to stop her screeching and defending himself with the other as she attacked him, eyes deranged.

"Ah go iff oof!" she retorted before sinking her teeth into the tough skin of his palm. He yelped, retrieving his wounded hand and she repeated visciously, "I _know_ it's you," before doling out a few more whacks, slaps and kicks before falling, exhausted, back against her pillow. Her breath came out in uncontrollable gasps, her chest heaved, her heart pounded and her sheets lay askew. "What," she demanded, "are you even _doing _here?"

"Here?" he repeated innocently. "In your apartment?"

"No!" she snapped earnestly. "Here in my _bedroom_ in _the middle of the night._"

Even in the darkness, Brennan could see her partner's teasing grin. "It's four am Bones. I'm pretty sure we passed 'the middle' of the night a few hours back."

"Booth!" Brennan groaned, rubbing her eyes crossly, but he just chuckled. Brennan moved to turn on her bedside light and they both realized how close he was sitting as her breasts grazed his knees. When she lay back down, Brennan studied her partner in the soft warm glow of the lamp. His lips quirked in a crooked smile but before she could be bullied into smiling back, Brennan, ever the observant doctor, noticed something.

"Why is your hair wet?"

Booth blinked, surprised and then smiled bashfully. "Alright Bones. So, the reason I'm here is that… Well, remember when you gave Parker and me that key –"

"Parker and _I._"

"Yeah, remember when you gave us that key to your pool?"

Brennan's eyes widened. "You were _swimming?_ At _this hour?!_"

His expression became solemn. "I couldn't sleep, Bones."

Instantly, Brennan understood and didn't push the subject any further. They'd just closed a tough case. _Sometimes_, Booth had murmured assertively as they had watched the convicted man being led away in cuffs earlier that day. _Sometimes they get what they deserve. Sometimes they get worse than they deserve. And sometimes… Sometimes they don't get jack shit of what they deserve. _

The man had killed a child. She was surprised Booth had decided on doing laps instead of taking his anger out at the shooting range. Although, the fact that it was closed at this hour probably affected that decision greatly.

"So…" Brennan squirmed. "You didn't really say what you're doing in my apartment. How did you even get in?"

Booth smirked at her naivety. "I'm an FBI agent, Bones. You think I don't know where you keep your spare key? I just wanted to take a shower. I wasn't going to wake you, I swear. Just take a quick shower and then leave, totally undetected. But…" Brennan quirked an eyebrow. "I don't know where you keep your spare towels."

Now totally awake, Brennan sat up. Thankfully, she was wearing an over-sized t-shirt to bed and not something less modest. She rubbed her nose, an action that subconsciously registered in Booth's mind as absolutely adorable, and fixed him with a stubborn glare. "What if I woke up and thought you were an axe-murderer out to butcher me in my sleep?"

"I would have been quiet," he answered smugly, whispering to prove his point. "Sniper training helps in that field."

"What if I walked in on you in the shower?" She whispered back, imitating his mocking tone.

"You've done that before."

"That was the bathtub."

"Doesn't make it any different," his voice shifted into a gravelly murmur has he struggled to keep the soft volume. "I was still wearing my birthday suit."

"No…" Brennan corrected earnestly, "You weren't wearing anything."

Booth smiled. "Oh, you noticed, did you?"

For some reason, Brennan found herself blushing. "Of course I noticed," she muttered, shifting uncomfortably. She moved to tie her hair up; realizing she must have had a horrendous case of bed hair, but Booth stopped her.

"Don't," the word escaped his lips before he could stop it. "Leave it down."

Brennan narrowed her eyes. "It's a mess, Booth."

He waggled his eyebrows. "What if I like it messy?"

Her gaze dropped as the innuendo made her face heat up once more. But, she recovered quickly and once again she turned those piercing blue eyes on Booth. "Leave, Booth."

He gaped. "What? But I just –"

"You want me to get you a towel, correct?"

"Yes," he agreed fervently, nodding.

"Well then you're going to have to wait outside."

Booth stared at her incredulously. "Bones, that's ridiculous. I think I am qualified enough to learn the classified whereabouts of Dr Temperance Brennan's towels."

Brennan only looked at him, unimpressed. "I need to put some pants on, Booth."

He almost choked on air. His eyes widened and the hand that had been resting innocently on her lower thigh pulled away as if it burned.

"Right," he squeaked, before mentally cursing himself (Men don't _squeak_, Booth!) and swallowing hard. Standing in the most nonchalant manner he could manage, Booth announced his departure in his normal, _manly _voice and left the room.

"I _am _wearing underwear, Booth!" She called after his retreating figure, wondering why his ears were so pink and wanting to assure him that she wasn't doing anything wrong.

"I know!" he called back hastily, and his voice was a few pitches off. "I mean – I … believe you, Bones?" His voice trailed off and he slammed the door behind him, regretting coming into her apartment in the first place.

Sweet Jesus, it was going to be a strange night.


	2. Chapter 2

When Booth came out of the shower he found Bones at her kitchen bench, back turned to him as she brewed coffee.

She wore small shorts beneath her huge shirt and her shoulders were hunched against the cold. She was barefoot and her hair was a mess. _She just woke up_. The realization made Booth feel funny. After all, it wasn't everyday he came out of Bones' shower and into Bones' kitchen to enjoy a cup of Bones' coffee with a Bones who still had sand in her eyes. It was strange. _Strange but nice, _he thought before he could stop himself. And then, because he was on a roll tonight; _I could get used to this. _

"You look fresh," she smiled at him when she heard him come through the door. He smiled, his stomach getting those funny feelings again as he pulled out a chair at her small kitchen table.

"Yeah. Look Bones, I'm really sorry about waking you up. I should've just gone home. It's way too early to be enjoying a morning coffee."

"No, it's quite alright, Booth," she informed him seriously. "I'm an early riser anyway. And besides, I'm not making coffee. I'm making hot chocolate!" She turned and grinned at him enthusiastically. He laughed, a low rumble in his chest that made her bite her lip as she turned around. It was strange, having Booth seated at her kitchen table while she made him hot chocolate in her pajamas. Yet… it also had a strange sense of comfort about it.

"Would you like marshmallows?"

Booth perked in his seat. "Marshmallows? As if you even feel the need to _ask!_"

Brennan laughed as Booth all but leapt towards her pantry.

"I can't find them!" He wailed after a few moments of excited rustling and scraping. She told him they were in the kitchen somewhere and he eagerly began rifling through her every shelf and cupboard. Brennan finished the beverages and turned, resting her bum against the bench top as she watched his amusing antics.

"Only one shelf left," Booth announced dramatically as he eventually turned to glare at the shelf above Brennan's head. She followed his gaze and spotted the pink packet of marshmallows wedged between a box of teabags and a bottle of mustard.

"I got it," she said but he was already in front of her, chest in her face and making her arch backwards as he reached upwards.

"After I scoured every inch of this kitchen?" he muttered, his voice strained and far too close. His arm came down and he gave her a massively silly grin as he waved the treats in the air. "I think not." Suddenly, Booth frowned. "You should go put a jumper on, Bones. Look, you got goosebumps and everything." He indicated her arms with his chin and she looked down in surprise.

"Oh," she said. And then, matter-of-factly; "That's just because of your proximity."

Booth was dumbstruck. He felt the funny feelings resurrecting. "You get goosebumps when I'm too close?" he asked. She noticed his voice was low once again.

She nodded and because he'd spoken softly, she did too. "It's a natural biological reaction."

"Oh."

And then, he very slowly kissed her.

Because he was on a roll.


End file.
